Art Collector’s Tips on Protecting your Artwork

As Art Collector’s, you have spent considerable resources and countless hours curating the perfect art collection the last thing you want is for that collection to be compromised due to environmental hazards or improper care.

We have some pro tips provided by one of the largest privately owned galleries in America on how to care for your artwork and retain its value.

1. AVOID OR LIMIT DIRECT SUNLIGHT.
Exposure to direct sunlight can fade the color of almost anything, including your new work of art. Avoid hanging your artwork anywhere where it will receive regular exposure to direct sunlight.

2. KNOW WHEN TO FRAME WITH ACRYLIC PLEXIGLASS, NOT GLASS.
What if you specifically wanted to hang that perfect picture in your sunroom? If you don’t want the sun dictating your design choices, just make sure that your picture is framed with a UV filtering acrylic rather than glass. It’s actually lighter than glass and will protect your art from fading or yellowing in direct sunlight.

3. PAY ATTENTION TO HUMIDITY.
The amount of water in the air can have a huge impact on the overall health of your art. Make sure to monitor the humidity level in your home and, ideally, keep it around 55%. (You can track your home’s humidity with a simple hygrometer.)

4. WATCH YOUR HANDS.
Always avoid directly touching your paintings or acrylic framing surfaces without wearing cotton gloves. If you do, you risk damaging them by exposure to your fingerprints and natural oils.

5. KEEP YOUR GLASS OR ACRYLICS SQUEAKY CLEAN.
When cleaning the glass or acrylic panel protecting your artwork, always use a soft non-abrasive cloth or microfiber towel. You should also consider purchasing an acrylic or ammonia-free glass cleaner.

6. DUST—DON’T CLEAN—YOUR PAINTINGS.
If you have a unique painting that’s not behind glass or acrylic, don’t use any cleaners or solvents on the surface to clean the painting…EVER. Instead, just lightly dust off the artwork with a soft feather duster or sable brush.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ARTWORK, IF IT’S UNFRAMED:

7. DON’T LEAVE YOUR ART IN A TUBE.
If you’re not ready to hang your art yet, definitely do not leave it rolled up in a protective cardboard tube. You always want to store your art flat. Acrylic paint or embellished paintings stored in tubes can become stained, cracked, or dried up if they’re left rolled up for too long.

8. KEEP YOUR STORED ARTWORK SEPARATED.
When you’re storing multiple works of art, always keep something in between each work while they’re laying flat. Place a 2- or 4-ply rag or conservation matboard cut 2 inches larger than the artwork in between each work. This will help protect the artwork from acidic damage, curling, and potential creasing.

9. STORE ART IN A COOL, DRY, DARK PLACE.
Pantry rules apply when you’re trying to protect the unframed artwork. The best way to avoid damage from sunlight, humidity, and temperature fluctuations is to keep your art somewhere cool, dry, and dark.

10. CONSIDER A SOLANDER BOX.
If you want to be sure that your art stays protected, you might want to invest in a solander box. These are acid-free print boxes with hinged front panels that can be purchased from conservation suppliers.

After acquiring Art, protection and conservation are important steps in keeping its value and beauty intact so you can enjoy it for many years to come, and pass it on to future generations.

Bernard Fleischer & Sons Inc. (ArtInsuranceNow.com) cares deeply about your collections, provides resources to help you mitigate risk and with our comprehensive Art Collector’s Policies, you can be assured that you have all the bases covered.

Give us a call at 800.921.1008 with any questions about your specific situation on how to properly protect your artwork. We can also be reached via live chat at www.ArtInsuranceNow.com or click below to get a free quote online with our user-friendly application.

 

 

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